The Congress will contribute to the IAPO Strategic Objectives set out in the Strategic Plan 2010-2014 (www.patientsorganizations.org/development) in the following ways:

Strategic Objective 1: Engagement
Participants understand the value of patient engagement
A wide range of healthcare stakeholders understand the role of patients in healthcare research
A wide range of healthcare stakeholders understand the role of patients in all types and phases of healthcare decision-making
IAPO highlights its policy positions according to policy strategy

Strategic Objective 2: Voice
IAPO Members highlight their priority issues and activities to a wide audience
Patient advocates feel supported by IAPO and more able to engage in international, regional and national decision-making and research processes
Key stakeholders consider that IAPO represents the global patients` voice

Strategic Objective 3: Member-led
Provide opportunities to involve IAPO Members in IAPO’s work
Communicate to members the benefits of the opportunities available to them
Communicate developments in IAPO’s work to members
Demonstrate the relevance and role of partnerships between patients’ organizations
Demonstrate the relevance, value and role of networks between patients` organizations
Support exchange, learning and joint working between members towards patient-centred healthcare
Patients` organizations feel more able to articulate and advocate for patient-centred healthcare

Strategic Objective 4: Sustainability
Encourage patients’ organizations to join IAPO
Communicate IAPO’s value to members
Communicate what IAPO is doing on behalf of members and what impact it is having on them
Promote longer term commitments from donors
Encourage partnerships and support between organizations

Learning Outcomes
a) Develop the knowledge and understanding amongst patients` organizations on current healthcare issues such as counterfeit medicines, non-communicable diseases and health technology assessment amongst others
b) Develop the capacity of patients` organizations to promote patient-centred healthcare and influence the decisions that affect them at the local, national, regional and international level

Networking Outcomes
c) Develop new and strengthen existing patients’ organizations networks so that they can have a strong unified voice
d) Provide ongoing support and opportunities through IAPO to contribute to the global patients voice in key meetings and policy consultations, and through ongoing capacity support and resources
e) Develop networks and initiate working relationships between patients` organizations and other healthcare stakeholders (policy makers, health professionals, industry representatives and academics/researchers)
f) Raise the profile of IAPO with healthcare stakeholders


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The general objective of the conference is to provide a forum for sharing and disseminating current knowledge and practice in migrant and ethnic minority healthcare among policy makers, public health experts and practitioners, researchers, health and social care professionals and civil society representatives, in order to analyse the impact of the economic crisis in the social and health status of these vulnerable populations, and to develop strategies to ensure their access to quality health care services. The strategic objectives include:

• To disseminate cutting-edge theory and practice in the field of migrant and ethnic minority health.

• To analyse the impact of the economic crisis on migrants and ethnic minorities’ health and access to healthcare, as well as related changes in health systems and policies.

• To analyse the impact of economic crisis on specific healthcare issues, such as HIV prevention and treatment, occupational health, mental health and health promotion of migrants and ethnic minorities.

• To analyse and share strategies, responses and good practices from different social stakeholders and within a multidisciplinary approach (healthcare professionals, politicians, NGOs, associations and citizens) in the context of the economic crisis.

• To exchange and develop strategies to advance health equity and to reduce migrants and ethnic minorities poverty and social exclusion in the context of the economic crisis.

• To analyse the specific situation regarding migrants and ethnic minority health in newer EU member states, particularly those in Eastern Europe that are becoming key transit-countries.

• To share new research methodologies and intervention approaches applied to migrants’ and ethnic minorities’ health at a local, regional, national and international level.

• To stimulate collaboration between various stakeholders as well as between various research disciplines to deal with the field of migrant and ethnic minority health in a comprehensive way.

• To support existing networks in the field of migrant and ethnic minority health and to promote new collaborative schemes to strengthen its development and institutionalisation in decision making processes.

• To encourage collaboration and communication among EU public health agencies and experts advocating for a research, practice and policy agenda for migrant and ethnic minority health at a regional, national and European level.

• To identify future research and intervention priorities in the field of migrant and ethnic minorities healthcare.


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The specific objectives of the conference are to:
1. Promote successful mental health prevention/promotion policies and programmes as evidenced through the various European collaborative projects and to facilitate their implementation in particular in new Member States;
2. Strengthen national and local capacities for mental health prevention/promotion by sharing resources and mainstreaming mental health prevention/promotion into all relevant policy domains at EU and national level;
3. Enhance the involvement of civil society, private sector and academia stakeholders, and foster sustainable and collaborative commitments as regards actions for mental health prevention/promotion;

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